Research-based Evidence For Using Choice Boards in the Classroom

Description

How can you increase student engagement while still maintaining clear learning goals? What instructional strategies allow students to take ownership of their learning without adding to your planning time? Choice boards offer a flexible, research-supported approach that helps educators balance differentiation, rigor, and student voice. Choice boards are a simple yet powerful strategy that gives students meaningful choices within teacher-defined parameters, supporting a wide range of learning styles and readiness levels. Research shows that when students are given structured options in how they demonstrate learning, motivation increases and outcomes improve—especially for diverse learners. Join Michelle Dragalin as she shares twelve pieces of research-based evidence that support the use of choice boards as an effective instructional and differentiation tool. This session will explore how choice boards can be intentionally designed to align with standards, support diverse learners, and fit seamlessly into your instructional plan. You'll also gain time-saving tips and practical examples you can adapt immediately for your classroom or content area.

Objectives

1. Identify key characteristics and purposes of instructional choice boards.
2. Explain how research supports choice boards as a differentiation strategy.
3. Design a content-area or grade-level choice board to meet diverse learner needs.
4. Compare instructional outcomes with and without the use of choice boards.
5. Assess the effectiveness of choice boards in supporting student engagement and mastery.
6. Develop a customized choice board aligned to standards, learning objectives, and student needs.

Key Take Aways

• Examine twelve research-based findings that support the use of choice boards in the classroom.
• Understand how choice boards promote student voice, engagement, and differentiated instruction.
• Learn efficient strategies for designing adaptable choice boards aligned to learning goals.
• Apply practical methods for integrating choice boards into lesson planning and instruction.